Head of Legal & Global Trade

Stellios Technologies is building advanced high power microwave and energy systems for defense, aerospace, and energy. We are hiring an exceptional in-house lawyer to own Stellios legal operations, with particular depth in ITAR, EAR, export classification, licensing, and international defense engagement. This is an enabling role.

Your job is not to tell the company why something is difficult. Your job is to understand the legal boundary, protect Stellios, and find the fastest lawful path to accomplish the mission. Legal and compliance are enabling functions, not veto functions. If Option A is prohibited, bring us Option B. What You Will Own And/Or Support ITAR, EAR, and OFAC — export jurisdiction and classification, technical data controls, licensing, exemptions and exceptions, and DDTC and BIS matters International defense engagements — advising the CEO and the engineering team on what may be discussed, shared, demonstrated, licensed, or shipped Customer, supplier, consulting, employment, and commercial agreements Government contract legal and compliance matters Corporate governance, board matters, financing, diligence, and equity administration Employment and HR legal matters Leases, facilities, insurance, and general corporate legal work IP strategy and management of outside patent counsel AI, data, and privacy policies and the legal questions that come with them Management of Orrick and our other outside counsel Our Philosophy We want someone who knows the boundary deeply enough to tell apart what is actually prohibited, what requires authorization, what requires additional controls, and what can proceed today.

The ideal candidate can sit beside the CEO in a discussion with a foreign defense customer, understand both the commercial objective and the legal boundary, and keep the deal moving.

Requirements

JD and active U.S. bar membership Deep hands-on experience with ITAR, EAR, and defense trade controls The ability to make, or drive, technically nuanced jurisdiction and classification decisions Experience supporting international defense or aerospace business Strong commercial judgment, including contracts and deal structuring Comfort working directly with engineers and understanding complex hardware A startup mentality: fast, practical, concise, low bureaucracy The range to handle broad in-house legal matters beyond trade compliance Extremely trustworthy, and willing to make independent decisions This role requires access to U.

S. export controlled information. Candidates must qualify as a U.S. person under applicable export control laws, including U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, lawful permanent residents, refugees, and asylees. The role is primarily in person in Austin and carries domestic and international travel.

Benefits

100% Employer-Paid Health Insurance Premiums Competitive PTO and paid company holidays Equity Package with meaningful ownership potential Competitive base salary commensurate with experience and expertise